Roles for Johnny Vegas, and Paul Chowdhry

Comedians Johnny Vegas and Paul Chowdhry have joined the Christmas special of Beyond Paradise.

Martin Trenaman, known to Inbetweeners fans as Simon’s dad Alan, and Small Prophets actor Ed Kear also join regulars Kris Marshall and Sally Bretton in the BBC One crime drama.

Chowdhry with Kear in Beyond Paradise

Their exact roles have not been announced, but the blurb explains the plot:  ‘A little girl’s festive season is set to be the best-ever when she looks out the window and spots Santa Claus on the roof. 

‘But it soon becomes a nightmare before Christmas for the residents of the Whitfield Estate, who wake to discover a man dressed as Santa has plummeted from the roof - and that a spate of robberies has taken place, with all the video and eyewitness evidence implicating the big man himself!

‘As Humphrey investigates the wildly different details of each burglary, all the evidence points to a Santa who is decidedly more naughty than nice. But when the man in red wakes up in hospital, can Humphrey get the answers he needs before Christmas arrives?

‘Meanwhile, finding herself at the end of several unrecognised phone calls and sensing she’s being followed, Martha confronts a mysterious stranger. Discovering the culprit’s true identity and reason for coming to Shipton Abbott, Martha faces a difficult conversation.

‘Elsewhere, Esther (Zahra Ahmadi) puts Archie  (Jamie Bamber]) to the test when she insists that a couple’s first Christmas together can make or break them, leaving Archie under pressure to pull out all the stops for his present. And Kelby (Dylan Llewellyn) finds himself caught between two warring neighbours, each accusing the other of sabotage in their fierce competition to have the most extravagant Christmas lights display.’

The special will be available on BBC iPlayer from Friday November 27 before airing on BBC One over the festive season.

Published: 2 Nov 2026